Track-sanding apparatus for locomotives.



M. R. MULLER L G. L. mB'LE. vTRACK SAN-DING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLCATON FILED SEPT.6.19I6.

PatenfeaNov. '21, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK R. MILLER, OF CHARLESTON, AND GEORGE L. DIBBLE, OF FLORENCE, SOUTHCAROLINA.

TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed September 6, 1916. Serial No. 118,677.

T 0 all ywhom 'it may concern Be it known that we, MARKR. MILLER and(lrEouoE L. DiEELE, Citizens rof the United States, Maui; R. MILLERresiding at Charleston, in the county ot' Charleston, South Carolina,and (EoncE L. DnsLE residing at Florence, in the county of Florence andState of South Carolina, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Track-Sanding Apparatus for Locomotives, of Awhich thefollowing is a specifi "ation,

This invention relates to improvements in track sanding apparatus forlocomotives.

The object ot' the inventionis to provide a track sanding apparatuswhich will etlectually blow the sand from the sand dome to` adistributing chamber to disintegrate the sand so that same may passfreely 1n a granulated state through the outlet pipes to the' track.4

A further object of the invention is to pro-l vide means for blowing thesand from the dome to a distributing chamber in a straight line toprevent-the sand in its passage wearing` out the metal and destroyingthe utility of the device..

It is also one of the objects of the invention to so construct thedistributing chamber as to cause the dissipated sand to travel 1n spiralpaths to the exit ducts to lend additional t'orce to the delivery of thesand to the track pipes.

A further object ot' the invention is to provide specially constructed vmeans for mounting the parts in the dome.

The invention also comprehends improvements in the details ofconstruction and arrangelnent ot' parts which will be hereinafterdescribed and particularly polnted out in the claims. l

In the drawings z--Figure 1 is a perspective. view of our invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical central section ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line .0r-af of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates a sand dome usually employed on a locomotive.`Centrally disposed 'in the dome 1, is a frame 2, comprisng a tubularmember 3, formed with a central opening 'l, which constitutes a nozzle,and extending from the base are arms 5, and depending centrallytherefrom, and terminatingover the opening l, is a member G. 'lhemember(i is formed with a tapered bore 7, and at its upper end it is formedwith a larged mouth ot' said member. The air Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Nov, 21; 1916,`

end ot' the member (i, are recesses 9, to form a convenient passage forthe sand passing to the mouth ot' the member. Mounted in the seat S, isa vertical pipe. 10, held in fixed position by a set screw 11. The upperend of this pipe tits in a socket formed in a central extension on adistributing chamber 12, and is held in place by a set screw 12x. Thedistributing chamber is toi-med with a central hollow projection 13,which communicates with the pipe 1U, the lower walls 13X of the hollowextension `gradually7 tapering downwardly and outwardly. as clearlyshown iii Fig. 2, for a purpose to be described. The upper part ot' thedistributing chamber is semi-spherical, and is spaced from the upper endof the hollow extension 13and in the tension, is a screw plug ll. Belowthe semispherical portion ot' the chamber the walls converge. as at 15,from whence on opposite sides ot' the chamber, said walls graduallycurve downwardly and outwardly as at 161 and form with the walls 13oppositely disposed outwardly extended ducts 1'?. Connected with theducts are pipes 18, held in place by set screws 1S, the pipes leading tothe track in the usual way.

Surrounding the frame tapered toward the top and fitting snugly the pipe10, the sieve preventing foreign substances. or lumps ot sand chokingthe mouth of the member 6.

In operation, sand is introduced in. the dome, and thetubula'r member issupplied with compressed air through a pipe 20, connected at theopcn end21. The air is top, in direct alincment with the hollow exisa sieve '20,

forced through the nozzle l, and through n the vacuum effect produced atthe bottom of the element the sand drawn through the space 22,v and therecesses 9,v into the enacting directly on the sand in the member (i andpipe 1'0, blows the sand particles through theI tubular extension 13. upagainst the plug l-l, and is there dissipated and thrown in shower-likeform against the wall of the semi-spherical portion of the chamber 12.

The sand is thus spread in all directions,

hence it is impossible for'the friction of the sand wearing out themetal. The sand is blown against the plug l-l, and in time thisparticular element will be worn out, but another can be quicklysubstituted. By spacing the tubular extension from the top of thechamber, and providing said chamber with semi-spherical walls, andarranging the parts so as to cause the air to blow the sand in a directvertical line, the sand will not cut the metal to any appreciabledegree, a factor which is of considerable practical importance indevices of this character.

iVhen the sand is blown through the tubular extension, if perchancethere should be lumps or the like, which may have passed through thescreen, said lumps when striking against the plug and subsequentlyagainst the semi-spherical walls, will be dissipated, and the fulleffect of the granulated sand will be obtained on the track. The fineshowerof sand caused by the semi-spherical walls is kept in a state ofagitation, and is driven by the air, and guided by the walls 15 and 13,to the ducts 17, and thence forced through the pipes to the track. l

The arrows in Fig. 2 of the drawing indicate conventionally the movementof the sand passing from the chamber' to the ducts. This spiral orwhirling action augments the force of the air on the sand, with theconsequent result that the sand is given added driving force through theducts.

Because of the arrangement of the frame and screen, the sand is siftedbefore reaching the mouth of the element -6, conse uently the mouth canbe larger than usual, wlth the result that a large supply of sand may besupplied to the action of the air coming from the opening 4, with littleor no unnecessary friction on the parts. l

The invention is extremely simple in construction, and is effective inopera-tion. The arrangement of the structural details is such that whilethe sand is vini-:a solid stream, it always travels in a straight line,which is a decided economical advanta e. It is only when the stream ofsand is dissipated that it is subjected to an irregular path, and thenthe part-sare of such form and proportion that it does not wear away themetal, nor is its force toward the ducts reduced.

It has been found that atmospheric conditions affect the sand in theytraps of track Sanders, causing the hsand to clog and prevent itspassage to the tracks. Because of the screen only line partibles canvreach the .mouth of the pipe and because of the construction, etc., ofthe distributing chamber,

said chamber and the ducts and pipes leading therefrom are always openand clean when the air is turned ofi'.

lVhat we claim is 1. In a track sander, the combination of a base havinga vertical tubular element open at the bottom, a nozzle locatedcentrally under the open end of thetubular element, a vertical pipecommunicating with the tubular element, a distributing chamber havat itslower end, a blast nozzle centrally located at the enlarged mouth at theend of the vertical pipe, a distributing chamber at the upper end of theipe, the upper rtion of the said'chamber Eelng of semi-sp erical fornthe chamber having a.' ntrally dis-k pose tubular extension, thel lowerend of whichcommunicat with the vertical pipe, the upper end of saidtubular extension terminating and in s aced relation wit-h thesemi-spherical wal of the chamber, the lower portion of the said chamberbelow the upper end of the tubular extension' having two outwardlyextendin ducts.

3. In a track sander, e combination pf a vertical pipe having anenlarged mouth at its lower end, a blast nozzle centrally located at theenlar mouth at the end of the vertical pi e, a lstributing chamber atthe upper end o the pipe, the upper chamber being of semlericalfform, adetachable plug centrally il'i'thertop of the sand chamber, the chamberHaving a centrally disposed tubular extension, the lower end of whichcommunicates withthe vertical pipe, the u per end of said tubularextension of the said mg in a inement with and terminating in spacedrelation with the plug, the lower'portlon of the'said chamber below theu per end of thetubular extension having ucts for the passage of sand.

4. In a track sander, the combination of a base frame com rising ahorizontal tubular member formedp with a centrally disposed opening,arms extendin upwardly from the horizontal tubular mem r, and avertically disposed tubular member having a tapered bore and supportedcentrally on the arms, the lower end of the vertical tubular memberbeing centrally disposed over the open- A ing and having recesses cut inopposite walls to form sand passages furthe entrance of `sand when airis blown through the o iening, aiscreeu surrounding the lmouth of tilevertical tubular member, a vertical pipe communicating with the verticaltubular member, a chamber having a central tubular extension.communicating with the vertical pipe, the upper portion of the. chamberbc momie ducts in its lower portion below Athe plane of 4the upper endof the tubular extension.

yspherical at .its uppei` portion and converge,

111g below said semi-spherical portion and 'terminating 'in twooutwardly extending sand ducts, the chamber having'a, central verticaltubularI extension terminating in spaced relation with thesemi-spherical walls of said chamben the outer walls of the verticaltubular extensiontapeiing outwardly fromthe top and merging into thewalls or" .the ducts, and means for forcing sand under pressure throughthe central vertical extension'.

6i 1n a. track sander, the combination of o sand distributing chamber,semi-spherical at the upper portion, a detachable plug centrallydisposed in the top of: the distributing chamber, said chamber having acentral vertical tubular extension, the upper end ol' which is inalinement with and space from the detachable plug, and a sand ductformedin the chamber below the top of the vertical tubular extension.

7. vIn a track sander, the combination of a vertically disposed pipehaving an enlarged mouth at its lower end, means at the mouth of thepipe for forcing air and sand through said pipe, a sanddStribUtercliamber lia-ving a sand outlet duct and having a centrallydisposed tubular extension, the upper end of which is spaced from. thetop of the chamber, its lower end being in com munication with thevertical pipe, the walls of said chamber being curved to cause the sand.blown from the tubular extension to follow spiral paths in passing toand out the duct.

In testimony whereof'we aliiX our signatures. v

MARK R. MXLLER. GEQRGE L. DBBLE.

